Halloween Ghost Pops, Gluten Free

When we were kids Halloween was something we really counted on to supplement our meager stash of candy (bought from our tiny allowances). That my older brothers raided my stash and took all the good chocolate bars only made me more resolute that I would be the queen of chocolate someday.

Perhaps some might say I enjoy Halloween maybe just a little too much. I love candy. The ridiculous volume of fun-sized candy everywhere makes me giddy. Certainly not as much as when I was a kid when the ingredients list was invisible. Back then it was the dark-ages when no one was required to list any actual ingredients and candy bars were the size of Alaska. But even now I only check for gluten ingredients and the rest I pretend I never saw. Denial.

But back to chocolate. My favorite subject.

Think of these little ghost-ghoul-mummy cake pops as fun-size cakes. They’re gooey chocolate cake covered in (pretend) white chocolate that actually tastes pretty good. They’re so easy to make that no one would even break a sweat producing a ton of them. I didn’t even drip a drop of coating on the counter when I dipped them (thank you, Wilton). These are not gourmet, nor are they especially good for you. But they taste good.

Again. It’s Halloween, people. No need for kale. Let it go.

The chocolate cake is easy to make. And it is even better if you let it get slightly stale before crushing it to pieces. You can use a GF chocolate cake mix, too but don’t tell anyone. The chocolate goo for the cake pop mixture is just melted chocolate, not frosting. So again, easy and not overly sweet. Mix it all up, form it into little balls, set on parchment and chill until you are ready to dip. I froze them for a few weeks and let them thaw for about an hour. Dipping while they are slightly cold is a good thing because it helps harden the coating.

Decorate as deviously as you wish. Ours ended up looking like wise-guys in a ghost-ghoul-mummy gang. Think West Side Ghouls. It was a little sad eating them because they kind of looked too cool. But hey – it’s chocolate cake in there.

I absolutely suggest buying this coating or this coating for this job. It’ll make your life easy. One Wilton container was useful for about a dozen dips and these are mighty big cake pop ghosts – you might get more dips per batch if your pops are smaller. I also suggest buying the Wilton at a place like Michaels or Safeway where the price is right. You can get pop sticks at the same place or order them here. Even Safeway had eyeballs this year but Michaels always carries them. If you can’t find them anywhere, you can order them here.

Ghost cake pops are fun, tasty and easy to make. The recipe will make a zillion cake pops. Make as many little cake balls as you wish and store on parchment, wrapped well in the freezer. Thaw as many as you need at a time. Dip while the cake pops are still chilled but not frozen. Make someone happy. Give them a ghost-ghoul-mummy cake pop for Halloween.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Dust with dark cocoa. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about a minute. Add eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to the stand mixer and beat on low until incorporated. Beat in buttermilk. Add hot coffee and mix on low until fully incorporated. Scrape down sides with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the vanilla. Stir just until mixed. Pour batter in the pan. Bake about 10 minutes and rotate. Bake about 15-18 minutes more or just until a toothpick just comes out without wet crumbs. Don't over bake the cake - it will be crumbly and dry. Remove as soon as a toothpick comes out cleanly. Cool cake in pan. You can cover and refrigerate the cake for a day or so if necessary. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan and cut cake into pieces when thoroughly cool. Break into fine crumbs and place in a large bowl.

Chocolate and Cake Pops

In a microwave safe glass container melt the chopped chocolate in 30 second bursts or just until it is melted. Let the chocolate sit for a minute after each zap and stir - it keeps melting. You don't want to burn the chocolate. Once it is all melted let the mixture cool until it is just barely warm to the touch and getting thick. Pour over the crumbled cake and mix with a wooden spoon and you may need to use clean hands to get it all incorporated. It will be a conspicuous gooey mess.

Scoop into even sized pieces and roll each into a ball. Place on a parchment lined pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least overnight. You can cover them with plastic wrap and then in foil or an airtight container and freeze until you are ready to dip. Thaw for about an hour before dipping.

Coating

If the cake pops are frozen let them thaw for about an hour on the counter. Otherwise remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before dipping. Once thawed enough - about 30 minutes - or immediately after removing from the refrigerator, push cake-pop sticks in almost to the bottom but don't go all the way through. Push them in carefully so the cake does not split.

These are getting dipped with the stick right side up and the cake on the bottom - so the stick can get used as a handle.

Melt the Candy Melts according to the package directions. Immediately dip each chilled cake pop into the goo and using a spoon make sure they are thoroughly covered. The spoon can help you etch a design into the coating. Let them drip for a second or two and place each one on parchment to let the coating set.

If you are adding icing for eyes, let the coating set first according to the package directions before decorating. It can take anywhere from an hour to a day.

If you are just using sprinkles as decorations, make sure you dip them in the sprinkles immediately after removing them from dipping in the candy melt otherwise the sprinkles won't adhere.

Make sure to use one or two for practice until you get the hang of it. The good news is that rustic and homemade for Halloween is perfect (see our photos!).